Words can Kill
by Stryder2008
Summary: "It all happens in an instant, one minute Danny's driving and the next he is crashing down the muddy mountainside. The screeching of crushed metal all he hears." When an argument between Danny and Steve spirals out of control and they say things they don't mean, will either of them get the chance to apologize? DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST/WHUMP. NO SLASH. Friendship only. Rated: T
1. Words and Bullets

**Words Can Kill**

Synopsis: When an argument between Danny and Steve spirals out of control and they both say things they don't mean, can one of them survive a deadly accident to apologize? DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-O and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing and I haven't ventured into the Hawaii Five-O space yet…so here goes.

Apologies to anyone that is getting double notified here, I posted this in the wrong section of the TV Series, under the old series and not the reboot. Please forgive the mistake.

 _Please take a second and let me know if you're interested in this being continued._

Chapter One:

 _Words and Bullets_

Detective Danny Williams had never thought that words could hurt as much as a bullet, but as he stalked away from his partner, Steve McGarrett, he realized he'd been wrong. The man that he'd been friends with for over four years had just expressed, in no uncertain terms, just how little he valued the Jersey native. Danny scrubbed his hand through his blonde hair in irritation and blew out a loud breath before he crawled behind the wheel of his Camaro. He couldn't help the old feeling that erupted in his chest when 'it feels all _wrong'_. He made the payments every month and yet he almost never got to drive his beloved black car. It actually irritated him to no end, but there was a part of him that accepted it as part of the package that was 'Super-SEAL-Steve'. At least that's what he called the man behind his back. And sometimes to his face, it just depended on how irritating the taller man was being at any given moment. He supposed that it was like Steve calling him 'Danno'. Even though Danny had asked vehemently that he not do it. From the first day they'd met, four years ago, Danny had been asking the navy man not to use the name.

A light Hawaiian breeze picked at his blonde hair as he threw the car into reverse and backed out of the muddy parking area. Raindrops started to splatter across his windshield and Danny frowned. Light passed through the trees into the opening he'd just pulled out of. The crime scene was lit up in bright white as HPD officers milled around. Anger flared in his chest and Danny hit the steering wheel in frustration.

"What the hell, Steven?!" His jersey accent hung thickly in the unusually silent air of his car as he slammed it into drive and peeled out of the area. The bright white of the halogen lights illuminated the edges of the dirt road and mud splattered all over his recently washed _and waxed_ vehicle. Chin and Kono were still at the campsite where the cache of guns had been discovered, so he knew that there was no one at headquarters to pester him as he worked through his anger at partner.

In typical Hawaii fashion it started to rain. Hard. He'd lived in this pineapple infested hellhole long enough to know that these _little tropical storms_ , as Steve liked to call them, could easily turn into torrential downpours and this one had all the makings of a nasty one. Danny ignored the small inner voice that warns him of the declining conditions, _it sounded annoyingly like Steve,_ and pressed down harder on the gas pedal as he swerved around a tight corner. His thoughts drifted to his partner and he clenched his teeth as the Navy man's biting words replayed in stereo inside his head.

H50 H50

" _Steve, Chin and Kono are almost here. We need the backup. Hell, we don't even know why those men are out here. Or how many of them there are." Danny trudged along behind his partner, his anxiety rising in spades the further from the trailhead they got. He shifted the backpack on his shoulders and shook his head at Steve's insistent need to 'be prepared'. Danny knew from experience that there would be everything from duct tape to protein bars inside the survival pack. Not that he was ever eating one of the cardboard tasting, cellophane wrapped pieces of filth. They ranked right up there with pineapple on pizza's…it's just wrong on every level._

 _Steve turned and looked over his shoulder, throwing Danny one of his many 'faces'. "And by the time they get up here, those men can hide those guns and we'll never find them. There're caves all over these mountains, Danny. Well not caves, but old lava tubes."_

" _And if we tumble to our deaths, they'll definitely get away with the guns." Danny couldn't help it as his blue gaze drifted over the side of the trail they were currently making their way along. A long drop that ended in a rocky grave stared back up at him. He shivered. "This is not how police investigate potential gun stashes, Steven." He jumped over a root that tried to trip him, throwing an irritated glare at the plant. "And don't tell me, I know, that we are Five-0, not regular police but still, would it kill you to wait for back up?"_

 _Steve finally stopped and turned to pin Danny with an annoyed look. "What did I tell you the first day we met?" A bead of sweat dripped down his face and he swiped at it haphazardly._

 _Danny couldn't help but roll his eyes at the unwanted reminder of that 'fateful' day. The day that one Lieutenant Commander Steven J. McGarrett had completely and utterly blasted into the detective's life and had then, blown it apart like C4. Danny had never hated anyone as much as he hated the Navy SEAL on that day. The man had threatened him, stalked him, forced Danny to be his partner, gotten him shot, and almost gotten him killed on a Chinese freighter. But Steve had also managed to apologize, gain the detective's grudging respect, and give Danny and his daughter, Grace, one of the best weekends they'd had since the detective had moved to Hawaii. So the man had earned some 'grace' points…Danny almost chuckled at the phrase._

" _Danny? You ignoring me?" Steve whined._

" _What? No. You told me I was the backup." He answered almost absently and Steve nodded with that irritating little smirk that he used on special occasions to piss Danny off. "Shut up." Danny blurted out and shook his head in mock irritation._

 _And then all hell broke loose._

 _Bullets were flying and people were running. Danny found himself dodging some asshole with a damn bowie knife and he'd completely lost sight of Steve. The jungle wasn't helping him either; Danny tripped over a collection of vines and slid down the side of the mountain until he crashed into a tree, which forced all the air from his lungs. He hated bruised ribs, almost as much as he hated Steve at the moment. Groaning, he rolled over and took a moment to breathe through the pain. But as the report of multiple weapons echoed above his head, Danny knew that he needed to get back up where his partner was. What he hadn't expected was...that the bastard with the knife would come tumbling down the hillside after him._

 _Danny rolled up to his knees and forced himself to his feet barely managing to deflect the blade as it slashed down toward Danny in an impressive arc. He hissed when it slid along his left forearm and blood spilled down his hand, dropping onto the jungle floor. "Son of a bitch." He spat and spun away managing to put some distance between the man and himself. His eyes landed on his gun just up from where he stop. "A camp full of guns and the best you can find is a pig sticker?" He knew he was egging the guy on, but Danny needed a distraction so he can get to the pistol._

" _Seems appropriate considering I'm gonna stick you, pig." The guy spat out in anger. Like literally, he spit on the detective he was that close. Guy thought he had Danny on the ropes. But this wasn't the first, or even nearly the first, time the Jersey detective had had a knife thrust in his face. Danny was slowly working his way backwards along the hillside, up toward his abandoned weapon._

" _Really? The pig thing? What is it with lowlife scumbags calling cops 'pigs'? Can you explain that to me? Because to be honest I've never understood that. I mean I go the gym, chase around thugs all day, and I only eat donuts when someone leaves them in the office." The guy stares at Danny like he was crazy, so he kept talking. "So how does that make me a pig? Now my partner…yeah, he could be classified as a pig. Although, he's in better shape, likes to swim for miles, is there a pig that can swim? The guy can hold his breath for like ten minutes, and he likes to kill people with things like twigs and pens. Come to think of it, pigs can't do any of that." He was cut off when the guy suddenly jumped toward him just as Danny's fingers slipped along the handle of his gun._

 _Another gunshot above him had him worried for Steve's safety, but he needed to deal with his own problem before he could help his partner. Danny managed to get the guy in the abdomen with a well-placed shot before the man could disembowel him, which was what Danny thinks the SOB had been going for. The guy collapsed in a heap of flesh and the detective scrambled back up the hill toward the continuing gunfire. The longer he was in the jungle the more he was reminded about how much he hates jungles. Every time he'd been in a jungle, with Steve, something bad had happened. Like North Korea or the Aloha Girls camping trip or any number of other 'bad things' that have happened over their four year partnership._

 _The sudden silence above him had Danny lighting a fire under his own ass and clambering over roots and vines to reach the trail. And then he heard it. A man with an accent and he had to be talking to Steve. Because no one can piss someone off as fast as Steve McGarrett._

" _I swear to God I'm gonna enjoy this." A sudden 'oomph' had Danny wincing. He snuck through the foliage and managed to catch sight of his partner, on his knees, in front of two Asian men. Both looked pretty serious about the threat and the detective looked around for any advantage. The guys were too close to Steve for him to rush them, but they were also too far away for Steve to take them both out before one of them managed to put a bullet in his head. Danny pressed his lips together in thought._

 _It only took a moment for Danny to assess the situation. As much as McGarrett liked to give him shit about his abilities, he's confident in his capabilities; it's one of the reasons they get along so well as partners. There was no doubt that they've got each other's backs. His plan was crazy and he knew it the second Grace's face flashed in front of his eyes. Danny sent up a silent prayer that he isn't about to leave his young daughter fatherless with this harebrained scheme, but he doesn't have another choice. It was his job to keep his partner safe, at least as much as Steve will let him._

 _Taking a page out of Die Hard, Danny carefully placed the handgun between his shoulder blades and secured it there with some duct tape from the backpack that Steve packed. Because a guy from New Jersey never would have thought to throw tape into a pack when heading out for a 'quick peek' at an old campsite._

" _We know you're out there." The one with the accent yelled. "Come out or I put a bullet between his eyes."_

 _Another grunt from Steve had Danny stepping out of the foliage and onto the open trail._

 _Blood dripped from his partner's lip and a small gash above Steve's eye. Danny furrowed his eyebrows at the evidence of injury. Steve's blue-green eyes flashed up and widened when he saw Danny standing there, hands raised and weaponless._

" _Uh, guys? I know he's annoying and all, but he's my partner. So I can't just let you kill him." Danny tried to express that 'he had a plan' to Steve in his eyes. But all he saw in the other man's gaze was the anger that simmered beneath the surface. Like Danny had done something wrong in trying to protect the damn stubborn Navy SEAL._

" _Two for one? Very nice." The lead man said as he nodded toward Danny. In the split second that he was focused on the detective, Steve, the dumbass, jumped up and tried to take down the guy. He managed to get shot in the shoulder for his trouble. But it was Danny that took control and in a move that would make Bruce Willis proud, he pulled the gun from his between his shoulder blades, ignoring the searing pain in his arm, and took down the two thugs. A bullet zings past him and lodged in the tree trunk not six inches from his head. Too close. He thought quickly._

 _Steve struggled to his feet and glared at Danny, 'What the hell had his partner been thinking?' It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the save, but Danny should've known better than to put himself in danger. Not even for Steve. That's what led to an argument that quickly spiraled out of control._

" _You're a selfish bastard, you know that?" Danny finally spat out angrily._

" _I'm selfish?" Steve's voice gained strength as he got more animated. He'd been scared when Danny had gone over the edge of the mountain. And all Steve could picture was his partner lying dead at the bottom of the ravine. But then the blonde had shown up and immediately put himself in mortal danger, again. And it sparked something inside Steve that was begging to be let out. "I'm selfish? Why? Because I don't want to bury my partner? Because I don't want to explain to your little girl why your dead and I'm not? I'm not the father here, Danny."_

 _Danny was shaking, he was so angry. It wasn't that he had a problem with Steve being worried about his well-being. In fact Danny actually appreciated that the man worried about that, cuz he was fairly sure that Steve didn't give it a second thought. But he couldn't believe that Steve was using Gracie as an offensive weapon. He hadn't even noticed the blood dripping steadily down his own arm. "Are you kidding me? Did you just use Grace as a point in an argument?" Steve threw his hands up in anger and Danny felt his own blood pressure sky-rocketing. "Don't. Ever. Use. Grace." He took a menacing step closer to the taller man and nearly thrust his finger into Steve's chest, but he remembered the quick reflexes of the seal he clenched his fingers into fists instead. "My life isn't any more important that yours—"_

 _He didn't even get to finish the sentence before Steve cut him off emphatically. "—Not true. You have a daughter that needs you and you can't—"_

"— _What? Do the same thing I've done for the last four years? Back you up? Jesus, I didn't even want to come without backup, but 'oh no', Mr. be-all-you-can-be thinks we can handle one little 'possible' gun stash site. What the hell is your problem, McGarrett?" Danny almost never reverted to calling Steve by his last name anymore. More affectionately he generally called him 'ninja', or 'super-seal', and on a really good day, 'Steven', but almost never 'McGarrett'._

 _The one thing that Danny couldn't see was the fear inside Steve's head. He'd been certain when he'd seen his partner careen over the edge of the trail that he'd lost the sarcastic, snarky Jersey cop. With everything else going on in Steve's life at that moment, he couldn't handle the thought of losing his best friend too. Because as much as he and Danny fight, it all comes from the same place, they were like brothers and brother's fight. Steve had only felt that level of fear a few times since they'd started working together, the Saran incident (which Steve hated even thinking about because it involved Jenna Kaye), Danny almost getting himself blown up after taking down a terrorist, and when the building exploded a few months ago. Steve had been terrified when Danny wouldn't answer him._

 _So he exploded on Danny._

H50 H50

Danny cranked the wheel of the Chevy around another corner and gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles were going white from the intense pressure. The bandage around his forearm had a suspicious red stain and he knew that it needed stitches. But he was so angry and hurt that he decided not to wait for the paramedics, he;d just wrapped the cut with some gauze from the small first aid kit that Chin brought and then taken off.

He'd been grateful that the other man was more prepared than him. The rain picked up and a small part of Danny felt bad that he left his team on the side of the mountain in a storm. But he also knew that they were just picking up the pieces at this point and that Steve would be escorted to the hospital to deal with his own bullet wound soon enough. The unusual silence inside his car was disrupted when his phone started ringing. Danny glanced down at the caller ID and gritted his teeth when he saw 'Steve McGarrett' pop up.

"Not right now, Steve." He muttered angrily and with a single swipe he sent the call to voicemail. Danny lifted his gaze back to the road and his eyes widened in surprise and he slammed on the brakes before pulling the wheel to the left. A huge wild pig was standing directly in the middle of the road. The rain had hidden it from Danny's view. The tires, already saturated with mud and rainwater, slid across the surface of the road and the Camaro started to spin out of control. He barely heard the squeal of the pig, but he definitely felt the distinct thump as his front bumper as it struck the large animal. The car continued to spin dangerously and Danny was frantically trying to get control again. His eyes had blown wide when he saw the edge of the road getting far closer than he was comfortable with.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. One minute he was sliding and the next he's falling. The car flipped end over end as it rolled down the side of the steep mountain. Danny felt his chest slam into the seatbelt and pain rolled through him like a tidal wave. His arms flailed about like pieces of paper flying on the wind. His right arm cracked against the console and he felt the distinct _crack_ as it broke, a burning pain raced up his arm. And still he was rolling… The crunch of metal when the car crashed its way through the Hawaiian jungle was nearly deafening and then it hit something and came to a shuddering halt. Danny's head crashed against the window and he felt the glass shatter when the airbags finally deployed, hitting him in the face. Pain. His entire world was now comprised of nothing but blinding, soul crushing agony.

Before the darkness could claim him, almost like the universe was playing a cruel joke, Danny's phone began to ring again. Steve's face popping up. It was the last thing Danny saw before his body effectively shut itself down.

H50 H50

Steve stared at his phone in anger. Not because he was completely soaked and standing outside Chin's nice warm car to get a decent cellular signal, but because he _knew_ that Danny had 'ignored' his call. It was bad enough that he'd gone completely off the rails with his partner earlier, but to have the detective ignore his attempts to apologize too? Insult to injury.

His shoulder was killing him and he knew that he needed to get to the hospital and let them dig the bullet out, but Danny's angry red-flushed face kept popping up in front of him. Steve needed to fix this with his partner before he can do anything else. He hadn't meant to call Danny's instincts or his considerable skills into question, but he had. Steve had accused his partner of relying too much on what he'd done in the past and ignoring the more recent practices that Steve was an expert in. And then he'd used Grace as the last nail in the coffin of his argument. He'd known that that was a very bad idea where Danny was concerned. The man was fiercely protective of his eleven-year-old 'monkey', as he liked to call her. Steven knew that and he'd done it anyway.

" _So you're calling me out for being a father, being a cop, and for_ _not_ _being a military special ops guy? Are you serious right now?" Danny's voice held an edge of disbelief, which was quickly replaced with white-hot anger. "In case you've forgotten, Commander McGarrett I was a cop for ten years before I ever met you and I was pretty damn solid at my job. Granted I wasn't getting shot at on a daily basis, but I was a good detective. So no. I didn't join the Navy and go off to war. I stayed home and fought one here. On U.S. soil."_

 _Danny pulled in a ragged breath and turned away when he heard footsteps behind them. Chin and Kono were staring at their teammates in shock. They'd gotten there just in time to witness the last part of the argument. "As I recall, my detective skills are why_ _you_ _picked me for Five-O, so what's changed?" Danny looked away and finally swept his hand through the air dismissively. "You know what? I don't actually care. Catch a ride back with Chin, I'm gonna go get my arm checked out."_

Steve wanted to say something, but he had no idea where to start. He hadn't meant to imply that what Danny had done as a cop was less important or less dangerous than what Steve had done as a SEAL. But somehow he'd done exactly that. Steve definitely hadn't needed Chin to call him out, but it certainly dug the shards of regret deeper when the older cop does exactly that. And now the stubborn son of a bitch Jersey native was ignoring his phone calls.

The rain poured down and lightning flashed in the distance. The storm was getting worse and that worried Steve. Shaking his head, he hurried back to the car and crawled inside. He winced when he realized that he was soaking the other man's leather seats. "Sorry." He muttered when Chin tossed a towel at him.

"Its okay, brah. Not the first time I've gotten water on these seats." Chin swallowed and watched as Kono pulled out of the small parking area at the trailhead. "Any luck getting Danny on the phone?" He asked in an attempt to break the silence.

"No." Steve answered quickly. He wiped water from his ears and winced when his shoulder twinged painfully. "I'll catch up with him at the hospital."

Chin simply nodded. He knew that his friends fought and make up. It's what seemed to work for Steve and Danny's relationship. They were definitely friends. More than friends, they were Ohana, family. And unfortunately families tend to fight. But that didn't mean that he liked it when things get out of hand with the two fiery tempered partners. Steve might be the undisputed leader of the Five-O task force, but Danny was the balance of that power for the military man. And when the two of them clashed? It was like a hurricane meeting a tornado, lots of destruction in its path. It was better to find shelter than try to ride it out.

Red taillights have Chin slowing as he rounded a curve. Kono's car was stopped in the middle of the muddy two-lane road. Chin looked over at Steve who shrugged and quickly dialed her number.

Kono picked up after one ring. _That's how you answer the phone call from your partner, Danny._ He thought absently. "Steve, I think someone went over the edge here." She said immediately after answering.

Steve's eyes shifted to the spot where her headlights were trained and he squinted. There was definitely a large disturbance in the foliage. "Can you see anything down there? It might not be recent."

"I can't tell. The rain washed a bunch of the dirt away. It could be old." There was a pause before she went on. "I think we should check it out, just in case. This is a bad spot to get into an accident."

The bullet in Steve's arm disagreed with his decision to go take a look over the side of the road. He rolled his shoulders and held his arm against his stomach as he approached Kono's position. Chin had grabbed a mag-light from his trunk and jogged up behind him. The rain was still coming in sheets and it was difficult to make out anything that was more than twenty feet directly in front of them.

"See anything, cuz?" Chin handed her the light and she shined it into the blackness.

"Whatever went over, it cleared a hell of a path. I can't even see where it stops." She leaned forward before flashing the light around hoping that maybe they get lucky and it reflects off something.

And then she saw it. A light was blinking several hundred feet below them. "That's a car. We need to get someone down there, whoever that is could be in real trouble." She was silent for a second before adding. "If they're even alive and I wouldn't bet next weeks paycheck on that."

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _This is my first foray into the Hawaii Five-O space. I've watched the show, but hadn't felt a need to play with the characters until recently. I'm finding that I like to mess with Danny, something about his snarky personality appeals to my inner writer. I plan on updating this a minimum of once of a week, though I may update faster depending on how fast I write. This shouldn't be a terribly long story, just a blip in the Danny and Steve world._

 **PLEASE REVIEW: LET ME KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THIS CONTINUED. Thank you.**


	2. Twisted Metal

Synopsis: When an argument between Danny and Steve spirals out of control and they both say things they don't mean, can one of them survive a deadly accident to apologize? DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-0 and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries. Not a Death-Fic.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing and I haven't ventured into the Hawaii Five-O space yet…so here goes.

Please take a second and let me know if you're excited about the next chapter.

 **Chapter Two :**

 _Twisted Metal_

" _Have you ever listened to yourself?" Danny cried. His hands flying all over the place as he gestured angrily. "I mean really listened to the words that come out of your mouth? Because that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." A large leaf fanned back and Danny shoved it out of the way so he had a better view of Steve's back as he trudged through the overgrown campsite._

 _Steve shakes his head and turns away from his partner. He's grateful Danny's okay and that they found the gun stash, but the argument that started earlier is still raging. Chin and Kono had actually stepped away to avoid getting drawn into taking sides._

 _They were pretty predictable as far as Danny was concerned. He supposed that it was a little like listening to 'mom and dad' fight. He wrinkled his blonde eyebrows when he wondered briefly which one of them was mom and which one was dad. He was pretty sure he knew what Steve would say about that. And that would start a whole new argument, so better to leave that one for later._

" _How can I listen to anything other than your constant whining and bitching? Seriously, sometimes I think my ears are bleeding." Steve leaned over and picked up a piece of evidence dropping it into the clear protective bag. He clenched his teeth when his arm throbbed painfully; reminding him that he still had a bullet lodged in there._

 _Danny stopped and stared at him, hurt registering briefly in his slate blue eyes. "You don't get it do you?" He said quietly. When Steve remained silent, Danny pushed on. "I follow you because I trust you and I thought that you trusted me too." And that was where the conversation rushed into accusations about fatherhood and investigative skills. In truth, it was where they veered from the normal argument into unchartered angry territory. Territory where Steve accused Danny of being reckless and untrained and Danny had accused Steve of being selfish and over-confident._

 _They both heard the crack of thunder in the distance. It was like a herald of things to come and yet neither of them bothered to acknowledge it._

H50 H50

Steve watched from the top of the muddy road as Chin carefully descended on a rope line. They'd waited for conservation officers to get to their position before attempting to make their way down the slippery slope to the vehicle. It was so dark and wet and the car was smashed to such a degree that they couldn't even make out what type of car it was. The ambulance had pulled up and the paramedics were waiting for the rescue or the recovery, whichever this turned out to be. Kono looks over at Steve and shakes her head before handing him a bottle of water.

"You should try and stay hydrated. That hole in your shoulder is still bleeding." He thought about refusing, but he knew better than to get Kono going. That and he _was_ feeling a little light headed.

"Thanks." He answered quietly and returned his gaze to the disappearing form of his friend. "Think Danny made it back to town yet?" Steve knew it sounded lame, but he needed some confirmation that when he finally made it to the hospital himself, he'd get the chance to talk to his partner. They'd had a lot of arguments over the years, but he couldn't recall Danny having ever driven off and left him at a crime scene. A small part of him was impressed that his partner could still surprise him after all this time. _I kinda wish it had been with something else, Danno._ The thought creeps into his thoughts and Steve shakes his head when the nickname announces itself without his permission. Emotions. Steve wasn't good at dealing with emotions and that was all that encompassed Danny Williams. Emotions.

Kono glances over at him. She can see the worry lines cutting deep creases into his forehead as he works through his thoughts. "I'm sure he's pestering the nurses as we speak." That gets a sad smile from Steve as he nods slowly.

"Yeah, you're probably right." His eyes flicker back to where Chin has disappeared into darkness. "Hey Chin? Can you make anything out?" Steve asks over the handheld.

There's a crackle before Chin's voice answers. "Not yet. Still too dark to see much. I'm almost there. Are the rescue teams here yet?"

A siren blares and Steve turns toward the road. "Pulling up now." He wipes the rain out of his eyes and waves the men over as they look for parking. The entire area is one big mud puddle and edge of the road is washing away in rivulets of rainwater.

H50 H50

Lt. Kelly loosens the line he's using to repel down the slippery face of the mountain. He's had to scramble over felled trees and the shattered trunks are like the edges of spears, they're so sharp. The headlamp that the conservation guys had lent him was bouncing off the wet leaves of the jungle and the rain was stilling falling in thick sheets.

The car had carved a deep swath down the mountain, decimating trees and plants as it rolled to its eventual resting place about thirty feet below his current position. He realizes that he's at the end of the rope before he's made it to the car a few moments later.

Chin debated for a fraction of a second before he disconnects the rope and moves the final few feet without the safety line. Steve would kill him if he could see him. One thing about Steve McGarrett, it was fine if _he_ was in mortal peril, but if anyone he cared about was? That was a definite 'no go'. Chin knew that if the poor person driving the car was going to have any shot at surviving, he needed to get to that vehicle, sooner rather than later.

He slid a few feet on his butt, the mud caking his pants and riding up inside his boots. Despite the warm air, the mud was chilly and Chin shivered in response. And then all the air seemed to be pulled out his lungs. The light from the headlamp landed on the car and he recognized the black Camaro. _No, no, no, no._ The silent litany of 'no's' just kept coming as he made his way to the decimated vehicle.

"Ah no…Danny. Come on, Brah…" He breathed. And then Chin's a flurry of motion, he all but runs to the side of the car and drops to his knees by the passenger window. The whole roof of the car is smashed down and he's terrified of what he'll find when he can finally see inside. Chin prays to every God he knows that he won't find his friend dead. "Danny?!" He calls into the car as he places the lamp so it's shining inside. Tiny rocks dig into his palms and his knees are sinking in the mud, but he doesn't notice. All his focus is on trying to see inside the crushed Camaro. There's small light inside. His eyes flicker over and his breathing hitches when he sees Steve's face lighting up Danny's phone. The red battery signal flashes in the corner and he knows that the phones been on the entire time Danny's been in the car.

"Hey, hey, Danny? Can you hear me?" There's no answer.

Danny's hanging upside down, his seatbelt keeping him in place as blood drips off his fingertips and disappears as rainwater tries to wash it away. Fear cascades through Chin when the detective doesn't so much as twitch a muscle. "Come on, Danny. Let me see some of that Jersey attitude." He begs as he reaches inside and gently presses his fingers against the inside of his friend's wrist. Nothing. There's no pulse fluttering under his fingertips and it's horrifying. _He's upside down Chin and has been for a while. Try his carotid._ He thanks God for the small still voice that can access his years of training when his normal brain has completely shut down.

"Chin? What'd you find?" McGarrett's voice interrupts him and Chin debates for a moment before choosing to ignore the radio call. He didn't have any information to tell the commander and the last he wanted to do was give the man false hope or tell him his partner was dead. _Oh god, I have to tell him its Danny._ His eyelids drop closed for a moment while he deals with that piece of information.

The rain starts to let up and Chin swallows before pushing his body closer to the ground and crawling further inside the smashed car. He needs to reach Danny's neck. Mud pushes into his face and he spits when it creeps inside his mouth. Chin cringes when he sees the extent of the damage to _their_ Jersey detective. The entire left side of Danny's face is covered in gashes and blood; Chin can't even tell how bad the damage is. His right arm is hanging at an odd angle, so definitely broken. The left arm has a nasty gash in it that bleeds sluggishly. He couldn't tell what was happening with the man's legs, they were hidden behind the steering column.

All in all, Danny looked horrifyingly terrible. Chin reached out and placed two trembling fingers at the base of the other man's jaw under his ear and waited. He barely heard his radio crackle again as he repositioned his fingers when he didn't immediately feel anything. "Come on, Danny. Don't do this." And then? There it was. The faint, erratic beat of Danny's stubborn heart.

"It's gonna be okay, brah. Just hold on. We've got you." Chin said quickly before pulling himself out of the car and grabbing the radio. "Steve? He's alive."

"Who? The driver?" Steve asked quickly.

Chin inhaled deeply and uttered two words he never wants to say again during a rescue operation. "It's Danny."

There's a long pause and then the radio crackles. "What's Danny? What are you talking about?" There's confusion in the other man's voice and Chin hates that he has to repeat this. He knows what it's going to do to their intrepid leader when he understands that it's _Danny_ , their Danny in the destroyed car. And as strong as his reaction is to this situation, Steve's is going to eclipse it in ways that can't be measured.

H50 H50

Something inside Steve snaps awake and he looks over at Kono. Pressure builds in his chest and the air suddenly seems too thin. He couldn't have heard that correctly. _Did he say Danny?_ He looks over Kono; her eyes are wide with shock.

"What's Danny? What are you talking about?" He asks. Because there is no way that that heap of twisted metal at the bottom of this mountain can belong to Danny Williams. No. Danny Williams was at the hospital getting his arm stitched up. Or he was at his house drowning his anger in a couple of longboards, but there was no way that he could be in _that_ car. Steve can feel the ache of regret snaking it's way through his belly.

"It's Danny's Camaro. It's bad, Steve. He's alive. But if we don't get him out soon, he won't be." Chin relays the critical information. Danny's alive. But Steve doesn't hear it. His brain can't process past, 'It's Danny's Camaro'. Which meant that for the past two hours his partner has been lying in the wreckage of his car at the bottom of a ravine. How much of that time had he been aware of? Had he tried to call anyone? Steve looks at his phone. _No missed calls._ It's like a punch in the gut.

Kono stepped up and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Steve blinked slowly and pressed the button on the radio a few times without actually saying anything. "I'm coming down." He finally managed.

Chin was quick to respond. "It's too dangerous, Steve. The terrain is trashed because of the storm and you can't navigate with that shoulder. You'll do more good up there." Steve starts to respond, but the other man cuts him off. "Danny needs paramedics and an extraction team. Focus on that." It takes all his self-control not to run down the side of the mountain without a safety line. But a sudden wave of dizziness reminds him that he's been shot and lost a lot of blood. He would be a liability, which could take personnel away from rescuing Danny.

Steve was nearly beside himself when the team finally hauls Danny's unconscious form up the mountain to the waiting ambulance. It had taken six men to get the detective out of the caved in Chevy and another two to help secure him for transport. The storm had grounded all air traffic, which meant that no one was flying out in medevac. Steve ignored everyone when they told him he couldn't ride in the ambulance with Danny. Because the moment he sees the other man, he isn't about to leave Danny alone.

Danny Williams is all movement and life. He can't sit still to save his soul. He's always gesturing with his hands or shifting his weight around. In the four years that Steve's known the detective from Jersey, he's only ever seen his 'still' a few times. All of which had been terrifying because they involved Danny being grievously injured or ill. And as Steve stared at the too still form of the smaller man, he wished that Danny were currently ranting at him. Hands flying in all directions, slicing through the air like fleshy knives, and demanding that Steve apologize for acting like an arrogant jackass. And then Danny would apologize for the things he'd said and they would move on like it never happened; at least until the next argument. This was their _dance_. The one they'd done since day one.

The paramedic shook his head in irritation when Steve used his position in Five-O to climb into the back of the ambulance and take the seat next to Danny's head. And it's the first time he gets a _good look_ at the damage the accident did to his partner. Steve gulps back his initial reaction. He'd seen his fair share of men on the verge of death, but the state that Danny is in trumps anyone he's seen that was still alive. He clenches his fist in agitation and lets his gaze roam over the injured man, a lump forming in his throat when he sees the gash in Danny's left arm. The gash that he was supposed to be getting fixed at the hospital and he can tell that the other arm is broken. But it's the stained white bandage that has him focusing on inflating his lungs. He'd let Danny take off because they were both angry.

A moment from his past assaults him and Steve leans forward in frustration.

 _John McGarrett hadn't had too many rules growing up, mostly because Steve wasn't the kind of kid that got into trouble. But one rule he did have? Never leave things angry with a loved one. Life is short and there's always a chance you won't get to fix the mistake. Steve's jaw tightened as he remembered his father's words. "It's not worth spending your life wondering if it was worth it. Apologize, it's less painful_." He'd always wondered if it had something to do with his mother's death. Of course now he knew that Doris hadn't died in an accident. But at the time? It had been a potent argument for civility and both he and Mary had listened.

Steve's blue-green eyes drop back to the blonde on the gurney and he shutters to think that he might not get the chance to make things right. "You shouldn't have been alone, Danny." Steve mutters. The guilt is almost palpable, hanging like a black cloud inside the emergency vehicle. It's starting to remind him of the day he listened to his father being murdered over the phone. He wasn't in the country when that had happened, but he'd still been responsible. And now as he looks at Danny, Steve can't stop the wave of despair that rolls over him. _He was alone. Danny was alone. Danny should never be alone._

The first month they were partnered up, Steve had told Danny "Maybe you're not as alone as you think are." It was right after Rachel had threatened to reduce his visitation rights and the detective had nearly lost it. But for Steve? Seeing Danny's reaction to being left alone on this island had sparked a response and he'd gone to the Governor to ensure that didn't happen. And that moment when Danny had actually 'thanked him'? Steve could see the icy exterior of the New Jersey cop starting to melt, just a little. That fierce devotion to family was one of the things that Steve respected and admired about Danny… _one of many things_. He was pulled back from his musings when the guy across from him spoke up.

"You say something?" The paramedic asked as he placed another blanket over Danny's body. Steve shakes his head 'no'. Because those words were for Danno's ears only.

He's watching like a hawk as the paramedic goes through the motions of hooking up IV lines and taking vital statistics to pass onto the doctors. "How bad is it?" He finally manages to ask.

The brown eyes of the paramedic lift to meet Steve's hopeful gaze. "It's not good. His pressure is lower than I'd like and the O2 stats aren't where they should be. I can't say for certain, but the crash did a lot of damage and he was inverted for a long time. The doctor's will be able to tell you more." Steve simply nods, because really what else can he do? His own arm aches where the bullet's still lodged inside of the muscle. He ignores the pain, pushing it to the back of his mind.

The faint beeping of the heart rate monitor falls into a steady whine and the man jumps into action likes he's been shocked. "How far out are we?" He calls frantically to his partner.

An instant reply has Steve biting his lip in concern. "Ten minutes."

Steve watches as the paramedic pulls out the defibrillator paddles and sets them on the smaller man's chest with the intention of jumping Danny's heart back into a normal rhythm. It's all happening too fast. He's just watching as the best friend he's ever had barely clings to life. And it's killing him inside. "Better make it five. He's crashing."

"Come on, Danny. Fight this." Steve begs as he watches the electricity course through Danny's body. "Grace needs you." Their earlier argument pounds through his memory and he can feel the burn of tears. He blinks them away, because this is not the time to lose his composure. "You're her father. She thinks you can do anything, Danno. Don't make me tell her you're…gone. Please." Steve can't have the last thing Danny ever hears from him be angry resentful words that don't encompass how he actually feels about the New Jersey transplant. What he'd said earlier had been about fear, not about Danny's contributions to the Five-O task force. Choosing the angry detective that had threatened to shoot him in his own home, as his partner, had been the best decision that Steve had ever made. He'd never regretted that decision. Never.

TBC…

 **Author's Notes:** _Wow! Thanks so much for the warm welcome into a new fandom. You guys are awesome! And to say thank you, here's another angst-ridden chapter for you. Thank you to everyone that reviewed, there are several guest reviewers that I can't thank here, but know that I saw them and appreciate them. If you can a spare a moment, I'd love to hear what you think of the newest chapter._

 **PLEASE REVIEW: And I'll hurry with the next chapter.**


	3. Blood Brothers

Synopsis: When an argument between Danny and Steve spirals out of control and they both say things they don't mean, can one of them survive a deadly accident to apologize? DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-0 and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries. Not a Death-Fic.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing and I haven't ventured into the Hawaii Five-0 space yet…so here goes.

Please take a second and let me know if you're excited about the next chapter?!

 **Chapter Three:**

 _Blood Brothers_

The antiseptic smell of hospitals has always made Steve a little nauseous. Something about the sterile environment combined with that specific aroma always manages to pull painful memories to the surface. Memories that he'd rather stay buried. Since he'd taken over the task force every single member of his team has spent time in the hospital for one reason or another. But it was a toss up between himself and Danny as to which one wound up here more often.

Standing under the bright florescent lighting of the emergency entrance, his arm cradled against his side, Steve watched, as the double doors swing shut after the gurney bearing Danny rushes through them, five medical professionals performing life saving measures on Danny.

He tried to argue his way past those doors, but the nurses had threatened to have him removed all together if he didn't let them do their job. His gaze drops down to his hand and the blood that has long since dried. His partner's blood still cakes his skin and is a stark reminder of what they're fighting for. He'd managed to touch Danny's hand when the crews had brought him to the top of the mountain and the smaller man's blood had smeared and mixed with his own.

Steve still can't believe he was so angry with Danny earlier. The argument seems so insignificant now. Except that Steve had hurt his friend and he'd done it on purpose. Steve had known that Danny's words were strictly emotional, while his had been calculated to get a response. One thing Steve knows how to do is push the detective's buttons. _Blood brothers._

And the truth of the matter is, he and Danny are blood brothers. In every way that counts, Steve and his wordsmith of a partner had blown past the point of simply being friends or even Ohana a long time ago. The painful feeling starts as a small isolated slice in his gut and works it's way up through his body until it clenches around his heart. Fear. Steve McGarrett is afraid. Give him a gunfight and he can handle it. A bomb and he will figure out how to diffuse it, but this? He has no idea how to help here; all he can do is wait.

The hesitant hand that touches his elbow startles him from his frozen position and he blinks several times before recognizing his teammate.

"Boss?" It's Kono. He looks down at her and the concern that has settled in her soft brown eyes almost undoes the dam Steve's built to hold back his emotions, almost. "They need to look at that arm." She won't take 'no' for answer and guides him over to one of the chairs, pushing until he sinks bonelessly into it. Chin takes up immediate residence in the chair next to him, but he remains quiet.

"I'm gonna get a nurse to take you back, okay?" Kono slips away.

Steve manages to lift his eyes and look at her receding form. "It's fine." He doesn't want to be anywhere else but here. What if he might miss the update on Danny?

"No, Steve. You're not fine." Chin says softly. He understands the pain his friend is going through, because he feels it too. "There's a bullet in your shoulder and you won't be any good to Danny if you come down with sepsis."

It's like he's talking to a wall and Chin bites at his lower lip in realization. If they lose Danny? They'll lose Steve. There are two lives at stake inside this hospital tonight and the thought scares the hell outta Chin. He's seen first hand the condition the detective was in and he's fully aware that there may not be much the doctors can do for Danny. He's silently praying to God that he's wrong. His gaze meets Kono's as she returns with a nurse and a cup of coffee, which Steve refuses.

"I need to call Rachel." Steve says quietly, almost like he hasn't heard a thing Chin or Kono are saying. He really doesn't want to make this call, but he knows that Danny still loves his ex-wife and she has a right to know what's going on with him. Even if she _has_ pulled his friend's heart out over and over, crushing it beneath false hopes and broken promises. And then there's Grace. _Oh God…Grace._ Steve knows that he needs to be the one to tell the little girl about her beloved Danno.

"I'll call." Kono offers. She pulls out her cell phone and Steve places a gentle hand on her arm to stop her.

"No. I need to be the one to do it." The words are strained as he struggles to control the emotions roiling around inside him. There's nowhere to hide from the devastation this time. When his father had died, Steve hid in the case and then behind his new task force. But with Danny? He has nowhere to hide and it's terrifying.

H50 H50

The air inside the hospital feels oppressive and Steve flexes his newly bandaged arm as he steps out into the early morning air. The Hawaiian sun hasn't even cleared the ocean yet and it's still raining softly. The smell of flowers drifts on the gentle breeze and for once Steve can't find anything good about Hawaii. The ferocity of the storm from the previous night has drained away into typical Hawaiian mild weather. It's almost as though it was a tangible representation of his fight with Danny. The anger that had seemed so important before has dissolved into nothingness. Steve swipes his hand over his face and blinks the exhaustion out of his eyes.

The call to Rachel was every bit as awful as he'd known it would be. This isn't the first time Steve has had to call the woman with an injury update about his partner. It never gets easier. No matter how many times Steve is forced to inform Danny's small family of his condition or watch as the detective disappointed them when he had to respond to a case, it never gets easier.

Rachel was silent for a few moments before asking if Danny was going to make it? Steve gave her all the information he had at the moment. Danny is alive and in surgery. Beyond that? Steve doesn't know anything, but he'll call as soon as he hears something. Danny's ex had then decided to wait to tell Grace until they had an update. It wasn't like they could go visit Danny at the moment and she didn't want to wake the little girl up in the middle of the night and scare her with unknowns.

There was a small part of Steve that would never forgive WoFat for coming out of the shadows and killing the Governor that night. Because on that night, Danny had had to make a choice and he'd chosen Steve and Five-0. And in the process he'd lost the chance to reunite his small family.

That thought sends Steve into guilt overdrive, so he turns his thoughts back to Rachel. Steve disagreed with her decision not to let the little girl know what was going on, but he wasn't Grace's parent so he respected Rachel's choice. He reached up, pinching at the bridge of his nose and leaned against the building allowing his mind to wander.

H50 H50

" _That isn't the worst mistake I've made, Danny. Not by a long shot." Steve bit out through clenched teeth. His arm was throbbing and they were looking at a cache of weapons that had been disassembled. Which meant that they had no clue where the lower receiver units of the automatic guns were. And that is a very bad thing because that's where the serial numbers are located. Without those, they have no way to track the supplier._

" _Well isn't that just fantastic. Steve McGarrett admitting that he made a mistake." Danny looks around. "And of course, I'm the only one here to witness this momentous occasion."_

 _Steve narrows his eyes irritation. "I never said I don't make mistakes, Danny. But every decision I make is based on intel and we have to move fast or that intel changes and the bad guy gets away."_

" _I understand that, Steven. But eventually our luck is gonna run out and one of us is going to end up dead. Do you want it to be you? Because I don't. And I sure as hell don't want it to be me, or any of the rest of the team. We have to start working with HPD on these bigger raids." Danny's hands cut through the air as he emphasizes his opinion. His blue eyes flash with suppressed emotion when Steve finally spins around and stares at him in frustration._

 _It's sound thinking and somewhere inside, Steve knows that. 'What is it with Danny and questioning every single decision that I make?' He thinks silently. Steve's tired of explaining why he makes the calls he does. If his partner had the same training as he did, then Danny wouldn't be questioning, he'd be following orders. Which would make Steve's life so much easier._

 _The next words out of his mouth are tailor made to hurt and they find their mark easily. Later Steve will blame his lapse in judgment on the blood loss and the heat._

" _No, I definitely make mistakes." He's angry with Danny for not letting this go. They've already argued about almost everything involved with this particular_ _mission_ _, as Steve would call it, or_ _case_ _, as Danny would call it._

 _Danny's still hurt from Steve's comments earlier and he's not sure how many more kicks in the gut he can take. His partner has already insulted his police skills and his parenting skills. And he's a very good father, thank you very much._

 _But the part of Danny that has to have the last word pipes up. The same part that got him into trouble as a kid, the smartass part that had a permanent seat outside the principles office._

 _Steve bites out the next words, ensuring that they are crisp and clear. "You wanna know what the biggest mistake I ever made was?"_

 _The detective's blue eyes narrow and a tremor runs through him as he reacts. "What? Joining the Army? Or when your father was killed?" Danny regrets the words the moment they leave his mouth, but he can't recall them and he has to look away from the flash of devastation in his partner's eyes. But now that the words are out, he's stuck with the aftermath. He's only ever brought up Steve's dad once and that was after he'd been shot on their first case. And just like now, he'd immediately known it was a mistake. He starts to open his mouth, intent on apologizing, but Steve interrupts him._

" _It's the Navy. How many times to I have to say that? And no. My biggest mistake was choosing you as my backup." Steve's voice is cold and even. It wasn't like he'd given the blonde HPD detective a choice in the matter. But that doesn't matter right now._

 _Steve's livid that Danny had the audacity to mention his father. Danny is well aware of how guilty Steve feels about John McGarrett's death. And a part of the SEAL wants to hurt the detective the same way he's hurting. Steve knows Danny. He knows that the man ties his confidence and self-worth in with his job and that by calling his partner's skills into question, he's going to get what he wants. An argument._

 _Danny straightens up and his eyes widen in hurt and surprise. He'd immediately regretted bringing up Steve's dad. But as he looks at the angry visage of his partner he wonders if they can come back from this one._

 _Then Steve kept talking, telling Danny that he regretted picking him all those years ago and that digs into the Jersey native's emotions in a way that nothing else can. He'd opened up to Steve over a beer in the man's backyard, telling him that 'being a cop is all he has and that he needs it and if that makes him selfish, then he was okay with that'._

 _It was that last part of that conversation that leaves him open to Steve's biting words. 'I wanna do what I'm good at and I wanna be reminded that I'm good at what I do'. It's probably the most honest thing Danny's ever said. And now it was being used against him._

 _In the last twenty minutes Steve has insulted everything that Danny values and he's soooo done at this point. He shoves the hurt and the anger down and lashes back at the Navy man._

" _Well thankfully, being your partner? That's something I can fix." Danny bites out after a moment of shock. He can't say anything else for a moment, his throats tight with emotions and he glances at the ground, before finally managing. "I'm gonna go get my arm checked out. Catch a ride back with Chin." He doesn't even wait for an answer before he's stalking back to the Camaro and the rain starts to fall._

H50 H50

Steve can't wait anymore. Danny's been in surgery for three hours and the doctors have refused to give him an update. He watches as the nurse steps away from her desk and then he slips past the double-doors into the emergency area. Steve's done enough sneaking around in his life to blend in as he walks through the walls of curtains and bustling personnel. His eyes flicker around as he looks for the surgical wing.

One wrong turn later, he manages to find the operating room. There's a small observation window and he presses up against it to see what's happening. Steve's stomach flips when he sees _Danny_ lying on the sterile table. There's a ventilator breathing for the blonde man and so many wires and tubes that Steve can't tell where one ends and the next one begins. A monitor reflecting the surgery shows him that the doctors are currently removing an organ from Danny's abdomen. A large bloody piece of 'something' is placed in a silver bowl and rushed from the room. It's like a horror movie, only worse because it's Danny. Steve bites down on his fear and stands silently watching as the doctor's work feverishly to save his partner's life.

When he looks up again he realizes that there's a flurry of activity happening inside that room. The medical personnel are now running around and Steve watches in horror as they pull out the small internal defibrillators and shove the paddles inside Danny's body. Steve glances over at the heart rate monitor and he has to remind himself to breathe when he sees the long flat line. _Danny's crashed at least twice since we pulled him up._

"Excuse me, sir. But you can't be back here." A strong voice cuts through his fear and he turns to look down at the small woman talking to him. She has kind eyes, but there's an air of authority about her too.

Steve can see her mouth moving, but he can't seem to understand what she's saying. He turns back and watches as the sea of medical green work in unison to restart Danny's stubborn Jersey heart. They pull the monitor away and Steve gets a _really_ good look at the detective. His lower abdomen is open from the surgery and there's a bandage around his head. The blood has been cleared from his face, but it's still thrashed. Gashes and bruising make recognizing that this is Danny almost impossible.

"Sir? Did you hear me? You can't be back here." The voice is a little irritated now.

Steve swallows. "I just needed to know."

She can see that this man is afraid and injured, so maybe he wandered away from a room or something? Her voice shifts again, back to soft and kind. "What do you need to know?"

Steve blinks in relief when he sees the small peaks and valleys of the monitor again. "I...I just needed to know if my partner's going to make it."

The woman leans past him and looks into the O.R., then back at Steve. "Are you a cop?"

Now that's a loaded question. Because normally Steve would argue vehemently that they were more than _just_ cops. But then Danny would pipe up and ask 'what's wrong with being _just_ a cop?' And they'd go off on some tangent arguing about the merits of a police force versus a task force.

"Uh, yeah. I'm a cop."

The woman gently takes his good arm and starts leading him back to the waiting room. "I'll find something out and get back with you. But in the mean time you need to stay in the waiting area and out of the doctor's way."

Steve nods and allows himself to be drawn away from the window…and Danny.

H50 H50

True to her word, the woman returns fifteen minutes later with Doctor Iokua Kekoa. The young emergency room physician manages a smile when he sees the Five-0 team. Steve jumps up and rushes forward.

"Commander McGarrett." The doctor shakes Steve's good hand. "I really wish we were meeting under better circumstances."

"So do I." Steve responds quickly. "How's Detective Williams?"

The smile disappears from the Dr. Kekoa's face and he gestures to the chairs. "Let's sit down, shall we?"

The air freezes in Steve's lungs and he blinks slowly before sinking down into one of the uncomfortable chairs. "He's okay? Isn't he? Danny's okay?"

Chin and Kono take up residence on either side of Steve, their faces a reflection of their bosses. They want to know what the doctor knows, but they're afraid of the answers.

"Detective Williams is alive, yes."

The three members of Five-0 release a collective breath before Dr. Kekoa continues. "Thank god." Chin voices what they're all thinking.

It's Kono that pushes out the next words. "So what's happening with our friend?"

The doctor looks over at Commander McGarrett and he can feel the dread pouring off the officer. "I'm afraid Detective Williams respiratory functions have been affected due to his inversion inside the vehicle. This caused his heart to slip into fibrillation and he crashed on the operating table—"

Steve starts to interrupt the doctor, but he holds his hand up. "Please let me finish, Commander." Dr. Kekoa nods when Steve sinks back into his seat. "Thank you. As I was saying, Detective Williams suffered respiratory distress, but that's been dealt with. His other injuries are more concerning. His head broke the driver's side window causing significant trauma to his brain. We've drilled several small burr holes to relieve the pressure, but we won't know the extent of the damage until he wakes up."

The air inside the hospital feels like it's getting thinner and Steve reaches up and scrubs his hand down his face as the list of Danny's injuries kept coming.

Dr. Kekoa can see that his words are having a devastating affect on the team, but he needs to let them know exactly how serious the detective's injuries are, because as much as the doctor hates it, there's a chance that the detective may not make it. "His right arm was broken in the crash and because he was inside the car for so long after the accident, we have to wait for the swelling to go down before we can set it. He ruptured his spleen and we weren't able to stop the bleeding so that was removed in surgery along with inflating his lung, which collapsed enroute to the hospital. So he's been fitted with a chest tube for now to help with drainage. His left arm sustained a serious cut, we've stitched that closed and there appears to be no infection at this time."

"Is that it?" Chin finally asks. His eyes flicker over to his friend and boss and he bites at his lower lip in frustration when the doctor shakes his head 'no'.

"We know that extreme pressure was exerted against Detective Williams spine, what we don't know is whether or not the pressure resulted in simple spinal compression or…" He takes a deep breath and finishes with the injury report. "…if the spinal cord has been compromised."

"Jesus…" Steve breathes out, his head falling into his hands as the weight of the world seems to settle on his shoulders. His father's words have never seemed as important as they do at this moment. _Don't stay angry with someone you care about. You may not get the chance to apologize._ The words land like lead in his belly as he swallows the lump in his throat.

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _It's me again. Thanks so very very very much for the amazing response to this little story. The idea wouldn't leave me alone, which caused me to venture into the unchartered territory of a new fandom. I'm so humbled by the amazing response, so thank you to every one of the guest reviewers that I can't thank personally and of course all the others that I sent PM's to._

 **PLEASE REVIEW: Once again a promise, if you review? I'll post the next chapter super fast.**


	4. Waiting is Hell

Synopsis: When an argument between Danny and Steve spirals out of control and they both say things they don't mean, can one of them survive a deadly accident to apologize? DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-0 and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries. Not a Death-Fic.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing and I haven't ventured into the Hawaii Five-0 space yet…so here goes.

Please take a second and let me know if you're excited about the next chapter?!

 **Chapter Four** **:**

 _Waiting is Hell_

The words from the doctor tear at the team and Steve's already shaking his head 'no'. Cuz, there is no version of Danny Williams that he can imagine that can be paralyzed. He's not entirely sure that Danny would even survive something like that. His thoughts turn to the ball of energy that is his partner and he shakes his head. "When will we know? When will we know how severe the damage is?"

The doctor stands up when a nurse approaches. "We should have a better idea when he wakes up." She hands him a form, which he signs quickly and hands back. "We've moved Detective Williams to recovery and then we'll settle him in a room in ICU. But I wouldn't expect him to wake in the near future. The medication he's on will help him recover, but it will also keep him from being coherent for a while. So be patient."

Patience isn't one of Steve's virtues and he suppresses a groan at the suggestion. "When can we see him?" He needs to see his partner and physically ensure that Danny's alive. Because the last time he saw the snarky Jersey man he was lying open on a table and a doctor was removing part of his insides.

"It'll be a while yet. As soon as he's settled I'll let you know. But I can only let one of you in at a time. Hospital policy when a patient is admitted into ICU."

They each nod and the doctor gives them a last sympathetic glance before following the nurse back through the double doors.

Kono wipes away the tears that started falling somewhere during the doctor's explanation of Danny's massive list of injuries. Her phone buzzes and she jumps before seeing Adam's face on the screen. "I need to take this."

Chin simply nods and Steve pats her on the arm. "Go. We'll be here."

After she hurries out of the waiting area, Steve turns to Chin. "Can he come back from this? Tell me he can come back from this." It's not something he would normally ask, but the information the doctor just passed on feels like the end of something.

The older man furrows his eyebrows, leans forward and steeples his fingers in contemplation. "If anyone can, it's him. Danny's too stubborn not to." That gets a smile from his friend and Chin drops the façade. "He'll pull through, Steve."

H50 H50

The slow hiss of oxygen is the first thing Steve hears before he enters the ICU room assigned to Danny. The lights have been turned down low and the steady _beap, beap, beap,_ of the heart rate monitor fills the otherwise silent room. He stops in the doorway and bites at his lower lip before slowly entering the room. There's a chair sitting on the opposite side of the bed, Steve moves and sinks into it. Only then does he allow his gaze to land on his partner.

Danny's head is still wrapped in gauze and there were several smaller bandages taped to the left side of his face. Steve assumes they're covering stitches, but he's not sure. He swallows hard and looks down at the smaller man's hands. His right arm is encased in a soft cast and his left has the same white wrapping as his head. He wonders if he should touch Danny before deciding to risk it and laying his hand carefully on Danny's shoulder. It's the only part that doesn't have an obvious injury.

 _I don't know what to say to you._ The thought bounces around inside Steve's brain as he stares at his friend. _How can I not know what to say to you?_ They'd spent the better part of four years in each other's back pockets and now he was stumped on how to start a conversation. Maybe it's because Steve knows Danny won't be on the other end of that conversation. He inhales and leans forward, laying his head on the bed near Danny's unmoving hand.

"I'm sorry, buddy." It's not what he wants to say, but it's a start. Steve has no idea how long he lays there, his head resting on the hospital sheets and his hair brushing Danny's soft cast. Eventually he pulls himself back into a seated position, his own shoulder complaining painfully. The sun sits high in the sky and there're streaks of light passing through the slated blinds of the window.

A nurse comes in to check on Danny's vitals, so Steve stays silent and waits for her to leave. Once she does, it's like something breaks loose inside him and he can't _stop_ talking.

"Chin and Kono are in the waiting room. They won't leave. We're all worried about you buddy. I called Rachel, she wanted to wait until the doctor's knew more about your condition before telling Grace." He laughs, but there's no humor in the sound. "I know you'd agree with that. The whole not worrying Gracie thing. But I gotta be honest, I think she'd want to be here. That little girl thinks you hung the moon." He takes a breath and keeps rambling. "I took your advice and I'm letting HPD deal with the rest of the guns. They said they could handle it and I haven't even called to check up on the case." And this is where Steve runs smack into what he actually _wants_ to say.

"I…uh…I didn't…you have to know…Danny, I didn't mean it. I've made a lot of bad calls in my life, but _you_? You were never one of them. I'd choose you every day of the week to back me up." Steve's emotions surge forward and he has to swallow the lump in his throat and wipe at the suspicious moisture at the corners of his eyes. "Even if I could choose from other SEALS or military guys, I'd still pick you. I was angry and I was arrogant during the search and that…" His voice fades off and Steve grinds his teeth together in frustration. "…never should've led to this."

H50 H50

 _Danny leans against the cabana and watches as Grace laughs. She bobs in and out of the tide pool and he can't help the sense of peace that falls over him. Rachel had gone back inside to take care of Charlie and a small smile pulls at the edges of his lips as he thinks of his family. It's perfect._

 _It's an amazingly lazy Sunday afternoon and he can't believe that he ever fought her on the idea of moving to Hawaii. It's not that he doesn't miss Jersey or his family, but watching his daughter giggle with her friend is enough to banish the longing for home. The light Hawaiian breeze picks at his hair and he brushes it back before reaching over for the lemonade Rachel brought out earlier. He'd prefer to have a beer, but he'll take ice-cold lemonade as a close second. The sand sifts through his toes and then curls around his ankles. Danny digs his feet further in. It actually feels pretty damn good._

 _The ringing of his cell phone has him rolling his eyes before he even looks at the screen. Steve McGarrett's face pops up and he swipes the 'answer' button._

" _Hello, Steven. You do realize it's Sunday? And you're late?" He waves as Grace waves enthusiastically from the water, a grin spreading across her face as she plays in the surf._

 _A laugh on the other end of the phone has Danny smiling. "I do. Catherine wants to know if we should bring the steaks already marinaded?"_

" _Is there any other way to prepare a steak? And is there anything else appropriate for a barbeque on playoff Sunday? I said I'd provide the beer and you were responsible for the meat. That was the deal. Are you bailing on our deal?" He can hear Catherine asking Steve something in the background._

" _What? No. Just checking." His partner laughs before relaying the information. There's a pause before Steve tells him what Catherine had to say. "She says stadiums typically serve hotdogs and popcorn, not steak."_

 _Danny groans. "Well, this football fan wants steak and you promised me good food on this rock. I'm holding you to that." There's no heat to his comment and he can just imagine what Steve's face must look like when he called the man's beloved island a 'rock'._

 _H50 H50_

 _The scene shifts and Danny finds himself lying in a hospital bed with no recollection as to how he got there. His entire body screams with the dull ache of broken bones and stitches. He forces his eyelids open and blinks slowly when the world doesn't immediately fall into focus. A light groan escapes his lips and he looks over at the bright light on the wall. Danny assumes it must be a window, but he can't tell for sure, too blurry._

 _When his gaze shifts to a blob of an item, that has to be a chair, next to the bed and he's confused when he finds it empty._

 _Why would he be in the hospital and alone? Where's his team? Or Rachel and Grace? What the hell happened?_

" _Hel…hello?" The words sound more like a croak than the voice of a human male._

 _A nurse pops her head in and then goes to the monitors checking his vitals. "Mr. Williams, glad to see you back in the land of the conscious." She grabs a cup and places the straw against his lips._

 _Danny drinks and then coughs when the water slides down the wrong tube. The nurse waits for him to clear his lungs before speaking again. "Okay?" He nods._

" _Where's my team?" He croaks out. His eyes scan the empty room and it feels like a tomb. A very lonely tomb._

" _Your team?" She questions, setting the cup down and writing something on a chart._

" _Five-0…where are they?" Something inside of Danny cracks at the thought that they left him alone in the hospital. Why would they do that? Had he done something? Were they angry with him? He feels like he's getting closer to the reason, but it still eludes him._

 _The nurse glances at his chart before answering. "Mr. Williams, you were in an accident. You were alone in the vehicle. I'm afraid I don't know anything beyond that."_

 _Danny blinks and swallows before licking his lips and nodding. "My ex-wife, Rachel. Has she been here?"_

" _As far as I know, no one's been in to see you since you were admitted three weeks ago." She says it without looking at him, so she misses the shock that registers on Danny's face._

 _Three weeks? He's been in the hospital for three weeks and no one has been there to check on him? What the hell is going on? It's like someone reached inside his head and pulled out the worst thing that he can imagine and planted him inside that nightmare. No family. No friends. No Five-0. An ache that has nothing to do with his injuries clenches Danny's heart and he suddenly has a hard time breathing._

H50 H50

A long slow whine pulls Steve from restless sleep and he has to take a moment to remember where he is and why he's sleeping sitting up. Several nurses rush into room and he's shoved to the back as they deal with Danny's falling oxygen stats. Steve leans against the wall and watches as the professionals work to level out his partner's vitals. After several minutes the whining stops and the nurses nod to him before exiting the room. He absently rubs his shoulder, biting at his lower lip in anxiety.

Steve runs his hand through his hair and shakes his head before slowly moving back to his seat. He almost misses the little girl peaking around the corner. "Grace?"

The tiny brunette edges around the doorway and pulls at her lips in concern. It's a nervous habit that started after Danny's old training officer taken her hostage a few years ago. Steve knows that Danny was only supposed to have one visitor, so he's a bit confused by Grace's presence. He holds out his good arm and the little girl runs into his embrace. Her eyes are red and Steve can tell she's been crying. "It's okay, sweetie. Danno's gonna be fine. He just needs to sleep for a while."

"Mom wouldn't tell me anything. I had to call Kono to find out where my dad was." She looks over at the unconscious form of her father and then buries her head in Steve's chest. "He never ignores my calls unless something bad happened."

"I'm so sorry Gracie. But I know that your mother was just trying to protect you." He leans away so he can see her more clearly. "Just like Danno would want to protect you. Your father wouldn't want you to worry."

It's like digging into a seeping wound and Steve can barely get the words out as he holds onto Danny's precious baby girl. She looks up at him and then over at her father. "I worry about him all the time, Uncle Steve. Don't tell him that, he doesn't know." She inhales slowly. "Can I sit on the bed with him?" Grace focuses on the chest tube that exits the blanket on the opposite side and her face falls.

Steve forces a smile. "I don't see why not." He helps her slip onto the bed, moving wires when they threatened to tangle her up. Grace leans down and lies quietly next to Danny, her hand resting softly on his chest. Watching the little girl with Danny tugs at Steve's heart and he's reminded that he used Grace when he was trying to bait Danny. She chattering about school and cheerleading. He isn't really listening to what she says so much as the fact that her voice caused a rise in Danny's blood pressure. It's slight, but it's there and Steve's grateful.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER

Rachel picked Grace up an hour earlier leaving Steve alone in Danny's room. Kono and Chin had popped in for a couple hours before heading back to the office to deal with the aftermath of the gun seizure. The sun had dropped and the room had been plunged into darkness.

A light moan from the bed is his first clue that Danny's waking up. Steve immediately moves to the edge of the bed and waits. It seems like hours, but in reality is probably less then five minutes before Danny's eyelids part revealing confused slate blue eyes.

"Hey'ya Danny." Steve knows it sounds lame, but he's not sure how coherent the smaller man is. The blue gaze shifts around the room and then finally focuses on Steve. He blinks several times and then his eyelids fall shut again and his breathing evens out into sleep.

It's not much, but for Steve? Danny waking up is everything. He finally allows his muscles to turn to rubber and he sinks into the chair, his hand lying carefully on Danny's shoulder.

"Welcome back, Danno." He whispered.

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _Again, your response to this little drabble has been amazing and I can't express my gratitude enough. I am forcing myself to keep this at five chapters and maybe an epilogue so that I don't turn it into 50,000 words, which I do quite often. Thank you to all of you guest reviewers that I can't thank personally, THANK YOU. You guys are awesome. I already have a second story bubbling inside my brain, so I'll be posting in Hawaii Five-0 again._

 **PLEASE REVIEW: I've kept my promises, you guys review, I will post super fast. I'm keeping that request and promise.**


	5. Silent Emotions

Synopsis: When an argument between Danny and Steve spirals out of control and they both say things they don't mean, can one of them survive a deadly accident to apologize? DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-0 and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries. Not a Death-Fic.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing and I haven't ventured into the Hawaii Five-0 space yet…so here goes.

Please take a second and let me know if you're excited about the next chapter?!

 **Chapter Five** **:**

 _Silent Emotions_

The slow surge back to awareness doesn't happen all at once like it does in the movies. Small things catch his attention first, pressure mixing with pain. Something presses uncomfortably against his arm and has him trying to understand what's happening and where he is. The rough feeling of a bandage over his head and the slow ebb and flow of pain emanating from there is making his stomach clench uncomfortably. The ache increases to a crescendo of pulsing pins and needles and he wants to cry out. But he can't wake up. It's terrifying to be trapped inside one's own mind. No control of the situation. No _understanding_ of the situation.

For Danny Williams it's tantamount to death. This inability to move, he can feel his heart rate rising as fear trip-hammers through his body. He's struggling to breathe and there's a fiery agony emanating from his side. All he can do is endure the pain. He feels it when someone lays a calming hand on his chest, it's like being branded and he can hear the low rumble of words, but he can't make out the voice. Come to think of it he can't understand them either. That thought causes more panic inside the prison of his medicated mind.

 _Steve! Grace! Kono! Chin! Someone help me?!_ He swears he calls out, but no one answers and he knows he didn't _hear_ anything. _Did I call out?_ Everything is muddled and his thoughts are drifting like a dense fog. The harder he reaches for them the more illusive they become. And then a warm wash of relief floods through him. It starts in his hand and works its way back through his entire body until Danny is a part of the fog. Medication. He no longer cares about grasping the thoughts, he simply floats along. In the distance he can see blurry objects, they might be faces, but he can't bring himself to care enough to focus…so he drifts.

H50 H50

The twitch of muscles under his hand has Steve sitting up and trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. The voices of nurses bustling around outside Danny's room confuse him for a moment before he remembers where is. The SEAL turns and stares down at the smaller man in the stark white sheets. Danny's blue eyes are wide open and staring into space. Shock courses through Steve as he scrambles up from the chair and then leans over his friend.

"Danny?" Something's not quite right about Danny's reaction. His gaze flickers to Steve and then drifts off again. It's like getting slapped in the face, which is way worse than getting punched and not something that the Navy man is used to dealing with.

Steve gulps back the rising fear that there's something seriously wrong with the other man. "Hey, Danny? Can you hear me?" The wandering gaze shifts back to him and there's so much confusion in those blue eyes that Steve's heart clenches. "Do you know where you are?"

It takes a moment before Danny's gaze drifts back to Steve and he winces in pain before shaking his head. "Do you know who I am?" It nearly kills Steve to ask this. Danny looks away and blinks slowly after what feels like an eternity, he nods. But there's no relief in his eyes and there should have been. Steve's not sure what to make of that, so he sinks back into the chair and leans forward, resting his elbows on the bed.

Danny's watching him with wary hooded eyes and Steve's insides twist uncomfortably. "I…uh…I guess you're wondering what happened?"

Danny blinks but his gaze doesn't waver. Steve nods and takes a deep breath. "You were in an accident…"

H50 H50

Something inside of Danny _remembers_ the accident. But when he'd woken up earlier, there was no one there, he was alone. Steve had been gone… _hadn't he?_ He can't tell what's real and what's not. Danny knows that this is _really_ Steve McGarrett sitting in front of him, but there's a nagging feeling inside his head that he's missing some huge piece of information. Something had happened between himself and his partner, but the specifics are locked inside his drugged mind.

Danny opens his mouth to say something, but the words won't come. That starts a panicky reaction that he's helpless to stop. His chest seizes painfully and he grinds his teeth together when the tube in his side pulls, causing a cacophony of fire to spread through his body. A strangled cry of pain is all that escapes his parched lips as he tries arch in reaction. But the pain that sets off in his back eclipses the fire in his side. Steve's blue-green gaze flashes to Danny and then his mouth is moving. But Danny can't make out what the other man is saying. It's all muddled together in mish-mash of tones that don't seem to form coherent sentences.

The faster Steve's lips move to worse Danny feels. He knows he should understand, but he just can't and that has him moving from panicked into terrified.

H50 H50

An alarm goes off and Steve is once again shoved away from Danny as medical professionals try to deal with the detective. He leans against the wall and folds his arms protectively around himself. This is taking more out of him than he would have thought possible. Steve had seen men after they'd been hit with an IED and it hadn't destroyed him the way watching Danny suffer is doing.

He'd considered calling Grace after Danny had woken up earlier. But as he watched the people hustle around the small bed, he was grateful beyond belief that he hadn't done that. Grace would've been terrified to see her father going through this. It was twenty minutes before Danny drifted off into medication induced sleep and Steve was allowed to move next to him again.

Dr. Kekoa steps into the room and sighs when he sees Steve sitting there. "Commander McGarrett, can I speak with you?"

Steve forces his tired body up and follows the doctor into the hallway. "What's going on with Danny?"

"Detective Williams suffered from a reaction to the medication combined with the trauma to his brain. It's unusual to have auditory and comprehension issues with associative verbal paralysis. However, I believe that's what happened to your partner. He was able to hear what you were saying, but his brain is still trying to straighten everything out." Dr. Kekoa frowned and looked over Steve's shoulder into Danny's room. "I'm hopeful that if I keep him sedated for a few more days, then his brain will be able to catch up with the rest of him."

It feels like the man just kicked him in the gut and Steve has to physically tell his lungs to breathe. "You're going to keep him sedated? Like in a coma?"

"Sortof, I think that will offer him the best chance at a full recovery."

Steve simply nods, his gaze shifting back to Danny's sleeping form. "Is it permanent? The auditory comprehension thing?"

Dr. Kekoa thins his lips. "I don't believe so. He shouldn't have been able to come out of the induced sleep and when he did, his brain couldn't facilitate the necessary functions to understand what's happened to him."

Steve smiles slightly at that. Because leave it to Danny to defy the rules of modern medical science. He can only hope that his partner continues to beat the odds.

"You really should go home and get some sleep Commander. It'll be several hours before Detective Williams wakes up." The doctor holds his finger up to a passing a nurse. "I need to go deal with something." He turns back to Steve. "Think about what I said. You're no good to him if you can't keep your eyes open."

"I appreciate it doctor, but I'm okay right here."

The doctor nods and then strides from the room leaving the two men alone. Steve turns back toward Danny and settles into the chair that's beginning to feel like part of his anatomy.

H50 H50

 _Danny rolls over and over, his body thrown in all directions as his car careens off the edge of a road. All he can think about is the fact that he isn't going to get the chance to say goodbye to Grace and that Steve will blame himself for this. Accidents happen and if he could say that to his guilt-seeking partner he would. The car slides another twenty feet and then comes to rest against something and Danny feels his head smash into the window._

 _Immediately his brain goes fuzzy. It's difficult to hang onto thoughts or make sense of what just happened. He knows that he was in an accident, that his car is likely totaled. That part sucks. He just got the new Camaro and he's getting tired of waiting for the dealership to ship cars from the mainland. Looks like he'll be waiting again. Which means that he'll have to ride along in Steve's monster truck. It's nice, but it's not the Camaro and Steve will never let him drive it._

 _He focuses on that thought. The fact that he never gets to drive his own car and Steve never lets him drive his truck. What the hell is up with that anyways? Pain lances through his body and pulls him back to his current situation and he groans before trying to reach up and undo his seatbelt. Agony pulses in his arms and he forces his eyes to focus._

" _Shit." He mumbles when he sees the odd angle of his right arm and the blood seeping from the knife wound on his left. No wonder he can't move either of them very well. The whole world is upside down and that's confusing the shit out of him. As he looks around the interior of the car, he can hear the thunder booming in the distance and the water from the heavy rainfall is streaming across his roof...below his head._

' _So both windows are smashed out, great.' He thinks. His eyes land on his cell phone lodge in the console just above the water and he wonders if he can grab it? Several painful attempts later Danny has managed to get the phone into his left hand. He's never been particularly ambidextrous and trying to force his bleeding limb to obey is causing him to see spots in front of his already blurry vision._

 _Slowly he slides his bloody finger over the unlock button and pulls up McGarrett's number. The picture is from several months ago at one of Grace's cheerleading competitions. Steve had insisted on being there since it was a finals competition and there was no way that Danny was missing that. Pain that has nothing to do with his massive injuries courses through him and he clenches his jaw in response. His own angry words replay through his head. Telling Steve that he was responsible for his father's death? What the hell had he been thinking?_

 _Steve telling him that Danny was the biggest mistake he'd ever made. It hurt. The realization that his best friend regretted the day they became partners hurt in ways that Danny couldn't quantify. He remembered telling the SEAL that he could fix the 'whole partner' thing. He has no idea what he meant by that comment and now looking at his own situation, Danny hopes that he gets the chance to make it right._

 _Before he can press the 'send' button on Steve's number the car shifts and jars the phone from his trembling fingers. Danny can't handle the wash of agony that spreads like wildfire through his system and his world shrinks to a pin point of light. Before that light blinks out, Danny sends a prayer up… "Please let me make it through this. I have work to do." And then the world blinks out of existence and Danny falls into unconsciousness._

H50 H50

TWO DAYS LATER

Kono slips past the nurse at the front desk, three cups of coffee in her hands. Her brown gaze takes in the activity near Danny's room and she releases a pent up breath when there is none. That means that nothing awful happened in the last eight hours while she was gone. She takes a deep breath and walks into her friend's room. Worry creases her forehead when she sees Steve slumped in an uncomfortable position in the chair next to Danny's bed. She's started thinking of that chair as 'the torture chair'. It has folded Steve's six-foot frame into a pretzel and she knows that he's going to pay for that later.

Chin stands near the window staring out into the bright Hawaiian sun. Kono hands him a cup of coffee, which he gratefully takes. "How is he?" She asks, tilting her head in Danny's direction.

"No change." Chin takes a drink and turns so he can lean against the windowsill. His eyes land on Steve and he frowns.

"And the boss?" She asks.

Chin sighs and shakes his head. "He's a mess. I know the doctor's told him that Danny wouldn't wake up again for a while, but two days? Steve isn't handling this very well. Grace has been here twice and if anyone could have pull Danny out of this, it's her."

"I swear this is like torture." Kono whispers before settling next to her cousin.

"Yeah, it is. I haven't slept through the night since it happened." The bags under Chin's eyes are a testament to his profound concern for his friend. Danny is one of the few people that he trusts implicitly. The Jersey native had told him once that he 'had Chin's back' and he'd proved that over and over in the last four years. This team that they all fight so hard for? It doesn't work _without_ Danny Williams.

"Me neither." Steve's voice interrupts the natives and they both turn to look at him. His scruffy beard and tired eyes stare back. He looks at the extra cup of coffee in Kono's hands. "That for me?"

She smiles and hands it to him. "Thought you could use a pick me up." Kono sets her purse down and pulls out a bag of malasadas. "Hungry?"

Steve shakes his head and takes a grateful sip of the coffee. "Nah, I'm good. Thanks." His shoulder is killing him today. He keeps refusing the pain medication because it might make him 'loopy' and he wants to be clear headed when Danny wakes up. He's had four days to think about how he's going to fix this with his partner. _Four days_ …it's been four days since Danny's accident and subsequent hospitalization. Doctor Kekoa removed the chest tube late the previous afternoon, so Danny was slowly healing, but it isn't fast enough for Steve.

A soft groan from the vicinity of the white sheets has three sets of eyes flashing toward the smaller man in the bed. Blue eyes meet their surprised stares.

"Danny?!" Chin says before he's moving closer to the bed. "How ya feeling, brah?" Kono can't help the smile that spreads across her face.

Danny blinks a few times and finally manages force some words past his chapped lips. "Thirsty."

"I'll go." Kono says when Steve starts moving toward the door to get a nurse. A moment later she returns with a small cup of water and ice chips. The doctor is right on her heels and Chin winces when he sees disappointment in Steve's eyes. He hasn't had a chance to say anything to the detective.

Twenty minutes later the stream of nurses and doctor's exit Danny's room. They still don't have any answers about the extent of the damage to his spine, but at least he can move his toes. So that's a positive. Chin gently takes Kono's arm and pulls her from the room.

She leans in and hugs Danny as best she can. "We'll be back."

"Can you bring Gracie?" He asks quietly.

For Steve it's like being knifed in the back. He would have happily gone to get the little girl and bring her to see Danny. He leans further into the wall, if that's possible, and waits for the cousins to leave. Once they do, he's trying to figure out what to say to the injured man looking at him from the confines of the hospital bed.

Danny, true to form, starts talking first. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Steve can't hide the surprise in his voice as he stands up and moves closer to the bed.

Danny's chewing on the inside of his cheek. It might be from pain, but it might be because he's struggling to find the words. "About what I said…about your dad." His blue gaze falls and he stares at the bedding. "I'm sorry. It wasn't fair and I crossed a line."

Steve very rarely gets caught off guard. Generally Steve is two steps ahead of every situational turn; it's what makes him good at his job, the ability to think ahead. But Danny Williams got ahead of him on this one and cracked open the emotions Steve's been desperately trying to hide. His eyes burn and he has to sit down before his legs fail and he falls. _Danny's apologizing for something I knew he didn't mean at the time. Lying in a hospital bed, having nearly died, and he's worried about what he said to me?_

H50 H50

The room feels two sizes too small and Danny can't bring himself to look at Steve. _What if he doesn't accept my apology? What am I going to do?_ They've fought over the years. In truth, they fought more than anyone Danny had ever known and that included Rachel. But he can't imagine his life without the stubborn SEAL. His memories are jumbled up and he's not sure if he actually woke up before and Steve wasn't there or was that a dream? The memory of being alone squeezes some of the air from his lungs and he has to force himself to take a breath.

Without meaning to Danny checks out of the situation in front of him and gets drawn into memories. Or were they dreams? He doesn't know anymore. Danny can't imagine that Rachel wouldn't care enough to at least make sure he's okay, or that she would keep Grace from knowing what's going on with him.

"Danny?" Steve's voice pulls him out of the thoughts and he turns to look at the other man. Worry has etched deep lines into the SEAL's face as he leans over the bed. "You with me now?"

"Yeah, sorry."

Steve shakes his head and sinks into the chair. "Stop apologizing. None of this is your fault."

A wave of pain surges through Danny and he grits his teeth and rides it out, finally managing. "Then whose is it? Cuz I'm pretty sure I was driving when this happened." He's silent for a moment then continues. "Maybe it's a good thing you usually drive."

It feels like someone just sent an arrow through his heart when Danny says that. Steve's eyes widen and he shakes his head. "You don't mean that."

Danny can't help the slight smile that works its way onto his face. "No. I don't."

Steve smiles and then his face clouds again. "Danny, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean what I said." Emotion has him gulping down a lump in his throat. "You are the best damn partner I've ever had. A stubborn son of a bitch, but the best partner." There's a brief pause. "In truth, you're the only partner I've ever had." Danny starts to respond, but Steve holds up a hand stopping him. "No, it's my turn to talk." Danny's eyes are filled with concern, but he stays silent. "I've had a lot of team members in my life, but I've only ever had _one_ partner. And that's you, buddy."

It's truth in its purest form and Danny can see that. He wants nothing more than to permanently remove that devastated look from his friend's face. He doesn't know how to answer the other man. "So how bad is it?" It's a lame attempt at changing the subject, but Steve jumps on the bait.

"How bad is what?"

Danny tilts his head to the side. "My car."

Steve's face splits into a wide grin. "Totaled."

"Son of a bitch, I really liked that one." Danny's words are soft as he starts to drift off again. Steve can finally lean back in the chair next to the bed and breathe a sigh of relief. His friend. No, his brother is going to be okay… _they_ are going to be okay.

H50 H50

Steve watches as Grace pulls out picture after picture for her father. She's chattering about everything from school to the new puppy step-Stan got her. Danny listens carefully to everything his daughter has to say, his eyes are heavy, but he's happy. The bruising on his face had started to fade from angry black and purple to sickly yellow and green. And the swelling in his left eye has gone down enough that he no longer looks like he went twelve rounds with Mike Tyson.

The doctors had come by earlier to check Danny over. They removed the bandages around his head, except for those covering the burr holes. So he didn't look like something that escaped the mental institution anymore. The swelling in his arm had gone down enough that they were planning on setting his arm the next day, so one more surgery.

"And the puppy, I'm naming her Miley, skidded across the floor. It was hilarious." Grace's animated story had Danny smiling and shaking his head.

"A puppy named Miley, huh?" He looks over at Steve and rolls his eyes slightly. "And where, pray tell, is _Miley_ going to sleep when you're at my place?"

Grace straightens and becomes extremely serious. "She's going to sleep with me. I have to take care of her dad. She's my responsibility."

Danny has to admit that he's kinda impressed by his daughter's very adult answer to his question. Chin's eyebrows rise and he smirks from his position near the window and Kono snorts a laugh. Steve also tries to hide a smug smile. Danny glares at them in turn and then looks back at Grace. "Well okay then." He shifts his gaze to Steve. "You do realize that we're all riding in your truck for a while, right?"

The smile fades. "I have a strict 'no dogs in the truck' rule." Steve answers quickly.

"Well, I don't currently have a car so that means you, as my partner, are responsible for driving me around. That includes my daughter's dog." He is so poker-faced when he makes the statement that Steve can't help the laugh that bubbles up from somewhere inside his soul.

"Okay."

Danny narrows his eyes. He wants verbal confirmation of this. "Okay what?"

Steve huffs in mock annoyance. "Okay, the dog can ride in the truck."

Danny smiles and leans back into the pillows. "Fantastic."

"You want us to come back later?" Kono asks when she sees how tired their teammate is.

Danny shakes his head. "No. I like having you guys here." He shifts a little. "Helps me sleep."

TBC…

 **Author's Note:** _The last chapter is the epilogue. We'll get to see Danny deal with the return to work and Steve deal with having to watch it. Plus, remember the guns? Well, that case isn't quite done yet. One more twist in the story that will put a bit of wrinkle in Danny's recovery. Thanks so much for the response to this story you guys have been amazing._

 **PLEASE REVIEW:** I was thinking that I might do a sequel to this one and cover what happens in the aftermath of this accident and case in that one. **Let me know if you guys are interested in that.**


	6. Epilogue

Synopsis: When an argument between Danny and Steve spirals out of control and they both say things they don't mean, can one of them survive a deadly accident to apologize? DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-0 and am not getting any monetary gain for this story, just playing in CBS's sandbox for a while. These characters and storylines remain the property of CBS. No disrespect intended, just great characters that inspire their own stories.

Rated: T for violence and injuries. Not a Death-Fic.

Notes: Angst and Hurt/Comfort are kinda my thing and I haven't ventured into the Hawaii Five-0 space yet…so here goes.

Please take a second and let me know if you're excited about the next chapter?!

 **Chapter Six** **:**

 _Epilogue_

Danny sat on the edge of the bed, a plastic bag with his few personal belongings sitting next to him. The room was silent and he was staring at the black screen of the tiny television. A lancing pain shot through his back and he winced in response. He wasn't paralyzed, _thank god,_ but he wasn't one hundred percent either. The doctors seemed to think he would be…with time and rehab. He swallowed feelings of concern and looked toward the window. He'd been in the hospital for two weeks and he was totally and completely done with it. Grace had been there every moment that she could be. School was making that a little more difficult, though she seemed to be a genius at getting McGarrett to driver her around.

The cast on his right arm was bright with Grace's drawings of everything from a cat with a mustache to a rainbow over the mountains. He'd had to fight with Steve when he'd felt the need to sign it too. Absolutely, under no circumstances was the SEAL signing that cast. He still hadn't forgotten that Steve didn't let _Danny_ sign his cast after the accident up at the petroglyphs.

His thoughts turned to his team and he sighed, and then groaned when his ribs protested. They were healing 'nicely', as the doctor would say, but they still ached when he breathed deeply. Steve or Rachel had brought Grace by almost every day and that helped his healing process. Seeing the little girl that made his world revolve was as good as any pain medication the doctors could offer him.

"Hey? You ready to go?" Steve's voice interrupted his musings and Danny lifted reflective eyes and nodded.

"You have no idea." He stood slowly and turned to grab the bag. Steve was quicker.

Danny huffed when Steve stepped up and took the bag away. "I got it." The taller man said.

"I can carry my own bag, Steven." But a part of Danny was glad to see that there wasn't any residual baggage between them.

"I'm sure you can. But so can I." His blue-green gaze shifted to the nurse standing in the doorway with a wheelchair and his partner's slightly irritated expression. "Besides, I think your ride is here." Steve finished easily.

Danny's eyes widened in humiliation. "No. I am not riding in that." He pointed at the metal contraption.

"Hospital policy, Detective Williams." The man pushing the chair said before shoving it inside Danny's room.

Intensely irritated blue eyes flashed up and glared at Steve.

 _Like it's my fault you have to ride in a chair, Danno._ He thought with a slight smile.

The parking area was nearly empty and the sun was just starting to set over the tall buildings. Danny's vision was still a little blurry from the severe concussion and he found that he suffered from bouts of dizziness that caught him completely off guard. His face was now a sallow shade of yellow and almost back to his normal color. He'd managed to style his hair to cover the burr holes that had been drilled into his skull to relieve the pressure of his traumatized brain.

Steve pushed him to the truck and locked the wheels in place before stepping around to help Danny get up. "I'm not an invalid, Steve. I can walk." He said quietly as he ground his teeth together and forced his pained body into a standing position. Danny's back pulsed in time with his heartbeat and his vision greyed a bit, but he managed.

"Danny, I know you're tough enough. I just want to help." Steve's words were soft but full of emotion as he stared at his friend. He could see the struggle happening behind Danny's bravado and it was like watching someone torture a puppy. Not that he thought of Danny Williams as a puppy, because that would piss the Jersey cop off something fierce.

A long pained breath from Danny had Steve shaking his head and pulling the passenger side door open. The shorter man stared at the step up he'd have to make to settle into the tall truck and his shoulders slumped slightly. _This is going to hurt_. He thought silently before carefully grasping the 'oh shit handle' above the seat and hauling his beaten body into the leather of the passenger chair.

Danny's breaths were coming in fast shallow pants when he finally let his weight drop against the seat and he was clenching his eyes shut as he waited for the pain and discomfort to lessen.

"You okay?" Steve's voice was tight with suppressed concern as he watched Danny suffer. They'd talked about what happened out on the trail that day and he knew that the other man no longer held him responsible for the angry words, but he did. Danny wouldn't be in this situation if they hadn't argued and the lingering guilt was sitting like a rock in the SEAL's gut.

Danny tilted his head toward Steve, his blue eyes appearing through the tiny slits of his eyelids. "I will be. Just need a minute to catch my breath." He turned back toward the front and waited for Steve come back after returning the wheelchair. When the driver's side door opened and closed, he spoke. "I assume I'm not going to my place?" He had three flights of stairs and that would be terribly painful for him to manage. _I'm not even sure I can._ But he doesn't say that to Steve.

"You assume correctly. I've already made up the spare room on the main floor of the house. You're staying with me until you can walk without looking like you've been shot…and dragged through glass. Face down." The truck roared to life and Danny couldn't stop the smile that worked its way onto his face.

"Are you done? Or am I going to burst into flames too?" Steve glared at him. "Honestly, I'd rather be shot than deal with this. Maybe even the glass." He continued. Danny's casted arm gestured to his slowly healing body. "Less painful."

Steve's eyebrows cut down and he frowned. "Is it that bad?" It's the first time he's asked Danny about the pain. He knows that the blonde has a high pain tolerance. Normally, his friend doesn't complain about pain at all and the fact that it came up is making Steve worry that Danny isn't ready to be released from the hospital. He could feel the concern working into his expression. _The eyes really are the windows to the soul._ Steve thought silently.

"Put away those baby seal eyes, I'm fine." Steve tilted his head and Danny revised his statement. "Okay, I'm _not_ fine. But I will be. So could you quite it with the 'eyes'?" He hazarded a look over at Steve, who was now staring out at the traffic. Danny sighed. "Remember when Jenna had you thinking you could help her and you wound up in WoFat's clutches in North Korea?"

The SEAL's blue-green gaze flashed over and his mouthed worked as he struggled for the words. _Of course he remembered that little gem_. Danny held up his hand to show Steve he wasn't trying to start anything here.

"Okay, well…remember when I pulled the canvas aside and…" Danny searched for the right words to express what he was trying to say here. "I was convinced I would be recovering your body. I was just as shocked as you that we found you. Alive."

"Where're you going with this, Danny?" Steve didn't like to think about that little error in judgment. He still hated that Jenna had been tricked by WoFat and that she'd had to die for that mistake.

"I have a point. Just let me get to it." Steve raised an eyebrow. "So impatient, Steven. I have a head injury, it takes me a minute to find my thoughts." Danny said quickly.

"Doctor Kekoa gave you a clean bill of health." Steve shot back.

The Jersey native tilted his head. "I'm well aware of that, I was there. Remember?" Steve held up his hand to indicate that Danny should continue. "After we hauled you out of that God forsaken jungle and we all got the hell outta North Korea, worst place ever I might add—"

Steve couldn't let that go without commenting. "—Worse than Afghanistan?"

Danny shook his head. "Leave it to you to get tortured in the worst places on the planet."

The taller man shrugged, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "That's where the bad guys were."

"I know. I had to go to both those places and neither of them were on my bucket list, Steven." Danny jumped off on a tangent now and Steve couldn't help but smile widely. "World Series Game at Yankee Stadium, or Dodger Stadium or even a playoff game at any professional football stadium. But North Korea and Afghanistan? Nope didn't even crack the top thousand things on my list."

"L.A.? Really?"

"That's not the point. And it's just to see the Yankees kick their ass. Then I'm flying back to the East coast. Where there are no palm trees and people don't think that fancy flip flops are dress shoes."

Steve can't help the laughter that bubbles up inside and he snorts in agreement. "Fancy flip flops? Really?"

"Do not start with me. There are people that believe, however erroneously, that fancy schmancy flip flops double as dress shoes." Danny turned so he could look at Steve fully. This was very important and the SEAL needed to know how strongly he felt about this subject. "Let me assure you, that they do _not_."

"I feel like there was a point when this conversation started and now…" Steve pulled into his driveway, parking his truck and looking over at Danny.

"The point, oh ninja-SEAL, is that you were in terrible shape when I found you and I didn't point out every time you winced, yes I said _winced_ , in pain. Therefore, you oh it to me to do the same." His tone shifted, the warmth that was all Danny seeped back in. "I'll be fine. Just gonna take some time."

H50 H50

Steve quietly made his way down the stairs. It was two thirty in the morning and he couldn't sleep. The gentle lull of the ocean waves was actually keeping him awake for once. _Generally, that's Danny's department._ He thought silently. His brain wouldn't stop replaying the last few weeks over and over in his head. A creak from the old wooden steps had him glaring at the floor before he managed to step onto the solid landing.

The soft light of the television, from the room where Danny was staying, glowed in the low light of the house. Steve debated for all of the twelve seconds before he shuffled over to the room and peaked into the darkness. An infomercial was running quietly and he found that he couldn't help the smile that worked its way onto his lips. Danny had told him the first time he'd stayed with Steve that the crashing ocean kept him awake. He couldn't sleep without the television on. Steve had responded that _he_ couldn't sleep with it blaring words through his house.

Danny had simply shrugged and buried himself deeper in the blankets on the couch. They'd come a long way since that night. Both Danny and himself had grown into a partnership that was stronger than any with a teammate that Steve had ever had. And he knew that Danny felt the same way.

He'd apologized for his words on that mountain, but inside he still couldn't figure out what had prompted them. He certainly didn't feel that way, so why say them? His blue-green gaze fell on the slow steady rise and fall of his friend's chest. Watching the blanket move up and down was Steve's way of reassuring himself that Danny really was okay. He didn't know how long he stood there before Danny's voice caught him off guard.

"It's rude to stare at people while they sleep, Steven. Didn't they teach you that in the Navy?" The smaller man reached out and pushed the blankets down before turning to look at his friend. "What's a matter? Can't sleep?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up. I was just headed to get some water and – "

Danny snorted. "—And you saw the television was on and you thought you'd help me out by turning it off?"

Steve looked down, his forehead furrowing in thought. "Nah. Just making sure you're okay."

Danny's blue eyes softened as he recognized the guilt radiating off his partner. "Steve, I'm okay. Really. It's gonna take more than a car accident to take me out."

He watched as the taller man's jaw clenched, the muscle jumping in reaction. "You almost weren't though, Danny. That's the whole point."

Danny wasn't sure what to do with the emotions washing over his friend. He'd only seen Steve emotional on a few occasions the entire time they'd known each other. And not once could he remember his well being as the cause of the stricken look that the SEAL would wear while dealing with them. He ground his teeth together and forced himself up into a sitting position. "The point is, I'm fine. I'll heal. We're good. I need another car, but other than that…Steve nothing was broken that can't be fixed."

Steve started to answer, but the ringing of his cell phone had him swearing internally as he turned to look at the stairs. His phone was plugged in by his bed. "I gotta go get that." He looked torn.

Danny smiled. "Go. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm not done with this conversation, Danno." The phone rang again and Steve took off at a run.

Danny's whispered response was totally lost on the other man. "I never thought you were."

H50 H50

The call had been from HPD, they'd gotten a lead on the lower receiver units of the weapons they'd recovered in the raid three weeks earlier. Steve had reluctantly agreed to meet up with them the following day to deal with the planning process of another search and seizure. By the time he'd gotten off the phone, Danny had fallen asleep again. Steve was pretty sure it was the pain meds the detective was on. He wasn't willing to wake the other man up again just to assuage his own guilty heart. So Steve swallowed the things he wanted to say and grabbed a glass of water before heading back to bed.

H50 H50

Danny was startled awake by a fiery pain racing along his spine and down his sciatic nerve. His entire body clenched in agony as he tried to ride out the spasm. He could taste the metallic ring of blood when he accidently bit through his lower lip. It was like having a seizure when you already had cracked ribs. His body contorted without his consent and he was helpless to stop it.

What felt like hours later, the spasm passed and his rigged muscles relaxed. The entire sheet was drenched in sweat and his hair was clinging to his head. Danny blinked slowly and he wanted nothing more than to make it to the bathroom and throw up. But he knew that Steve would hear him and he had no intention of laying the guilt any thicker than the SEAL was already dealing with. He could handle a little pain.

The doctor had explained that he could have some discomfort. _I think you undersold the 'discomfort' doc._ He thought with irritation. As he laid there and focused on breathing, Danny knew that his sleeping was finished for the rest of the night. He reached over and grabbed the remote, flipping through the limited channels on Steve's cable service until he came across a Die Hard marathon.

The irony wasn't lost on him that he was watching Die Hard and that the movie had saved his and Steve' lives not even four weeks earlier. "Guess it's just you and me, Bruce." He said in a clenched voice. He forced himself to sit up and leaned against the headboard.

H50 H50

"You're sure you slept okay?" Steve asked quickly. Something about Danny seemed off when Steve had come down to make some breakfast. Danny was pale and his hand that wasn't in a cast, was shaking slightly. "You're not in pain?"

Danny thinned his lips and looked at the plate of eggs that Steve set next to him. There was a couple slices of wheat bread, _leave it to Steve to have heart-healthy whole-wheat bread,_ and a few slices of what looked like turkey bacon. "No. No pain. You do realize that at no time has a turkey ever been considered swine?" He needed to change the subject before his friend saw through his lie.

Steve tilted his head to the side and looked at Danny in confusion. "Am I aware that fowl isn't a pig? Uh yeah, I passed biology in school, Danny."

"Then why am I looking at something that thinks it's bacon, but is in fact, a feathered bird masquerading as bacon?" He needed to make sure that his friend was focused on anything other than his appearance. Because Danny wasn't sure how long he could keep up the charade of 'feeling fine'.

"Turkey bacon is a perfectly acceptable, healthy, substitution for the fatty version of actual pig bacon…plus I like the taste better." Steve finished before setting a glass of juice next to the plate of food.

Danny sighed with dramatic effect. "It's false advertising, Steven. It says it is one thing. When in actuality it is something else. Therefore, it is a lie."

"Just eat the food, Danno." Steve started to leave, stopping in the doorway. "If you don't I'm calling Grace."

Danny's slate blue eyes flashed up and he glared at the navy SEAL. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would." Steve said firmly.

"You, my friend? Are an animal." Danny said as he picked up the juice and took a hesitant sip. "It's good." He said after the orange juice burned its way down his parched throat.

Steve smiled. "I have to go to the office today. You gonna be okay while I'm gone?"

Danny sighed. "Yes mother. I'll be okay on my own. I can take care of myself, you know?" He took another drink of juice. "Is this about the guns?"

Steve was pulling a clean shirt over his head, so his voice was muffled when he answered. "Yeah, HPD got a tip that sounds legit. They wanna go over the location and put together a team to go after it."

"And they want Five-0's input." Danny finished.

"Yeah."

"Wish I could be there with you partner." Danny bit at his lip and finished the thought. "Ya know…to back you up."

Steve froze and turned to look his friend in the eyes. A small lump formed in his throat when he was the clear need for confirmation in Danny's gaze. "Danny's there's no one I would rather have backing me up out there."

Danny forced a smile. "Just make sure you take Chin and Kono. God knows it'll take both of them to make up for one of me trying to keep you from doing something crazy."

"Since when do I do crazy things?" Steve shot back. He was smiling now as he stared at his friend.

"Since the day I met you. Need I remind you of the Chinese freighter incident?" Danny answered quickly. He looked away for a moment before shifting his gaze back to Steve's. "And don't ever change, Steve…just be careful."

Steve had to swallow the emotions that threatened to burst out of him. "I will. I'll see you in a couple hours."

Danny nodded and waved. As soon as he heard the front door close he slumped in on himself, the agony finally taking its toll as he allowed his body to fold in around the pain. He was going to work his way through this. He would be fine. And Steve? He never needed to know about this.

THE END

 **Author's Note** _ **:**_ _Okay so yeah…there's gonna be a sequel. There has to be. I couldn't end it this way and Danny's injuries were too severe to overcome so easily. And this way I get to torture him and Steve some more…so yay! Plus, what's going to happen when Grace realizes that Danno kept something like this from her?_

 _Thanks to everyone that has read and reviewed this story. You guys have been amazing, awesome, radical, and any other word that means fantastic. So thanks for that._

 **Please Review: Let me know what you thought of the story. I'd love to hear.**


	7. Epilogue Part Two

Epilogue Part Two:

Hey guys, just letting you know that the start to the sequel is up…If you have a minute, check it out. Here's the synopsis…

Synopsis: The road to recovery isn't as easy as Danny Williams thought it would be. Steve McGarrett is hiding inside his mile-high emotional wall and, without meaning to; he has started blocking Danny out. But when gun smugglers come searching for payback, will Steve be there for Danny? Or will his Jersey partner be forever silenced. DANNY!WHUMP and STEVE!ANGST. NO SLASH. Friendship only.

hey guys, I should have said this, but the sequel is up, it's called, "Conversations in Silence". Check it out..

Sorry for the super short notification, but I wanted to let everyone know that we're continuing with the Danny and Steve WHUMPAGE.

Stryder2008


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